Day 358 - This is Love

Daily Reading: 2 John, 3 John, Jude


And this is love:  that we walk in obedience to his commands.  As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.  2 John 5,6

Footnote:  The statement that Christians should love one another is  a recurrent New Testament theme.  Yet love for one's neighbor is an old command, first appearing in the third book of Moses.  We can show love in many ways:  By avoiding prejudice and discrimination, by accepting people, by listening, helping, giving, serving and refusing to judge.  Knowing God's command is not enough.  We must put it into practice, walking "in obedience to his commands."

Keep reading -- 7 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 357 - Strong Enough

Daily Reading:  1 John 3-5

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.  1 John 4:4

Footnote:  It is easy to be frightened by the wickedness we see all around us and overwhelmed by the problems we face.  Evil is obviously much stronger than we are.  John assure us, however, that God is even stronger.  He will conquer all evil -- and his Spirit and his Word live in our hearts!

Keep reading -- 8 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 356 - Faith and Right Behavior

Reading:  1 John 1,2

We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.  The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him.  This is how we know we are in him:  Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.  1 John 2:3-6

Footnote:  How can you be sure that you belong to Christ?  This passage gives two ways to know:  if you do what Christ says and live as Christ wants.  What does Christ tell us to do?  John answers in 3:23: "to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another."  True Christian faith results in loving behavior; that is why John says that the way we act can give us assurance that we belong to Christ.

To "walk as Jesus did" or living as Christ did doesn't mean choosing 12 disciples, performing great miracles, and being crucified.  We cannot merely copy Christ's life -- much of what Jesus did had to do with his identity as God's Son, the fulfillment of his special role in dying for sin, and the cultural context of the first-century Roman world.  To walk today as Christ did we must obey his teachings and follow his example of complete obedience to God and loving service to people.

And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.  

If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.  1 John 2: 28,29

Footnote:  The visible proof of being a Christian is right behavior.  Many people do good deeds but don't have faith in Jesus Christ.  Others claim to have faith but rarely produce good deeds.  A deficit in either faith or right behavior will be a cause for shame when Christ returns.  Because true faith always results in good deeds, those who claim to have faith and who consistently do what is right are true believers.  Good deeds cannot produce salvation (see Ephesians 2:8,9), but they are necessary proof that true faith is actually present (James 2:14-17).

Keep reading -- 9 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 355 - God-breathed

Reading:  2 Timothy 1-4

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.  2 Timothy 3:16,17

Footnote:  The Bible is not a collection of stories, fables, myths, or merely human ideas about God.  It is not a human book.  Through the Holy Spirit, God revealed his person and plan to certain believers, who wrote down his message for his people.  This process is known as inspiration.  The writers wrote from their own personal, historical, and cultural contexts.  Although they used their own minds, talents, language, and style, they wrote what God wanted them to write.  Scripture is completely trustworthy because God was in control of its writing.  Its words are entirely authoritative for our faith and lives.  The Bible is "God-breathed."  Read it and use its teachings to guide your conduct.

The whole Bible is God's inspired Word.  Because it is inspired and trustworthy, we should read it and apply it to our lives.  The Bible is our standard for testing everything else that claims to be true.  It is our safeguard against false teaching and our source of guidance for how we should live.  It is our only source of knowledge about how we can be saved.  God wants to show you what is true and equip you to live for him.  How much time do you spend in God's Word?  Read it regularly to discover God's truth and to become confident in your life and faith.  Develop a plan for reading the whole Bible, not just the familiar passages.

The Bible Challenge has allowed us to do just that!  We had a plan, we've almost read the WHOLE Bible (just 10 more days!), we've spent time in God's Word this year and discovered so many of His truths!  Well done!

Keep reading -- 10 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 354 - Right Living

Reading:  Titus 1-3

Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness -- Titus 1:1

Footnote:  In one short phrase, Paul gives us insight into his reason for living.  He calls himself a servant of God -- that is, one who was committed to obeying God.  This obedience led him to spend his life telling others about Christ.  How would you describe your purpose in life?  To what are you devoted?  

They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him.  They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.  Titus 1:16

Footnote:  Many people claim to know God.  How can we know if they really do?  We will not know for certain in this life, but a glance at their life-styles will quickly tell us what they value and whether they have ordered their lives around kingdom priorities.  Our conduct speaks volumes about what we believe.  What do people know about God and about your faith by watching your life?

Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.  Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

Footnote: Women who were new Christians were to learn how to have harmony in the home by watching older women who had been Christians for sometime.  We have the same need today.  Younger wives and mothers should learn to live in a Christian manner -- loving their husbands and caring for their children -- through observing exemplary women of God.  If you are of an age or position where people look up to you, make sure that your example is motivating younger believers to live in a way that honors God. 

Keep reading -- 11 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 353 - Live Like That

Reading:  1 Timothy 4-6

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.  1 Timothy 4:12

Footnote:  Timothy was a young pastor.  It would have been easy for older Christians to look down on him because of his youth.  He had to earn the respect of his elders by setting an example in his speech, life, love, faith, and purity.  Regardless of your age,  God can use you.  Whether you are young or old don't think of your age as a handicap.  Live so others can see Christ in you.

But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.  1 Timothy 6:6-8

Footnote:  It is often helpful to distinguish between needs and wants.  We may have all we need to live but let ourselves become anxious and discontented over what we merely want.  Like Paul, we can choose to be content without having all that we want.  The only alternative is to be a slave to our desires.

Keep reading -- 12 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV

Day 348 - FAITH

Reading:  Hebrews 11-13

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  Hebrews 11:1

Footnote:  Do you remember how you felt when you were very young and your birthday approached?  You were excited and anxious.  You knew you would certainly receive gifts and other special treats.  But some things would be a surprise.  Birthdays combine assurance and anticipation, and so does faith!  Faith is the conviction based on past experience that God's new and fresh surprises will surely be ours.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  Hebrews 12:1-3

Footnote:  The Christian life involves hard work.  It requires us to give up whatever endangers our relationship with God, to run patiently, and to struggle against sin with the power of the Holy Spirit.  To live effectively, we must keep our eyes on Jesus.  We will stumble if we look away from him to stare at ourselves or at the circumstances surrounding us.  We should be running for Christ, not ourselves, and we must always keep him in sight.  

Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.  Hebrews 13:2

Footnote:  Three Old Testament people "entertained angels without knowing it":  1.  Abraham, 2.  Gideon, 3.  Manoah.  Some people say they cannot be hospitable because their homes are not large enough or nice enough.  But even if you have no more than a table and two chairs in a rented room there are people who would be grateful to spend time in your home.  Are there visitors to your church with whom you could share a meal?  Do you know single people who would enjoy an evening of conversation?  Is there any way your home could meet the needs of traveling missionaries?  Hospitality simply means making other people feel comfortable and at home.

Keep reading -- 17 days left!

All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV